Friday, April 25, 2008

No sewing here this week. I managed to buy a zipper for my dress, but that's all I did!

On April 25 last year I entered my first post on my blog. One of the reasons to start a blog was, as I stated then "Perhaps blogging about my projects will help me finish them before starting something else (which I'm in the habit of doing)". And yes, in general I can say that it helped with that.

Of course I had doubts about not being a native English speaker (and the international language is English), what could I add and of course: are my projects interesting enough. I enjoyed reading the blogs of others and in the end just gave it a try. It's been quite an experience and it's fun.

I think I have inspired a few people to sew lin gerie, or at least shown that it is quite possible to make your own.And I feel so inspired by all of you who have blogs or write reviews on PR. It made me go out of my comfort zone: buy new books, try new techniques, knock-off a rtw garment, try to make a planned wardrobe (didn't finish in time for the PR contest).All in all I'm so very happy to be part of this great international sewing community.

Well let me say a big thank you again to all those who commented and shared thoughts and opinions in the last year. Some of you did this by sending me a private e-mail message. Wonderful to hear from you all.

But also those who just read and not leave comments: nice that you're there and read my blog.From the statistics I see visitors form all over the world, sometimes it's a strange feeling that while I'm looking at the world map on the sitemeter, I see that someone from the other side of the world is reading my blog.

On the inspiration side: have you seen Connie's bag? It's so gorgeous that I ordered the kit to make one too. It's like Els said in her comment on my first bag in March: I've a new hobby: sewing bags/leather.

And in my holidays I'm going to try to make a pattern for this top, it's from Roberto Rodriguez:

I'm able to take my sewing machine with me! So I might even make a muslin.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

The BWOF blouse is finished. Such styles are never outdated it seems. This pattern is from March 1999! I don't have this issue myself, but copied the pattern years ago and have made it a few times. It's a basic blouse with princess seam and collar with stand. The placket is my personal touch to this pattern. I won't write a review on PR, the pattern is so old and I still try to limit my computer time (not working in the weekend, good excuse to browse a little over the sewing related sites and write on my blog).

I found perfect buttons with a little shine, and the placket can be worn closed or, more casual, open. I will make this placket again in the future. It would be good a bit longer even, and think it is also beautiful in a contrasting fabric. Topstitching is a bit difficult, as the sleeve is already closed and the cuff completely on the sleeve when doing this.

Warning Knip dress: some of you are planning to make the Knip dress I showed in an earlier post. I'm pretty far with it at the moment, but realised that there is not enough space to put on this dress when it's finished the way it's described. The dress has a top with buttons, and the skirt is attached to the top without special instructions. I made a muslin of the top, and pinned that on. Now I realised that once this is sewn to the skirt, the waist will be too small to pull easily over my bust. Conclusion: I'll add a side zipper. But of course I have no matching zipper in my stash.....

Thursday, April 17, 2008

For all your kind words and wishes for my shoulder/arm problems. I'm definitely trying to spend less time at the computer screen for reading and writing about sewing. As I'm a computer programmer, not much chance to cut down computer use for work reasons. But as I'm my own "boss" I can try to divide my time better. Excersises, adapting screen height/chair etc. is all part of the mending process.

Just wanted to thank you and show you what I'm working on. It's a placket for a sleeve that goes down through the cuff. Saw that on a blouse from a business relation recently, and I just had to try to make it. As you can see, I'm still sewing (though also not in long time stretches).

That's all for now, perhaps I can show you the Knip dress next week (it's cut), but after that I'm going to spend two weeks without computer and travel to the beautiful south of England. That must be good for me!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Thank you for all the nice comments on my skirt and top. The review of the top is on PR now, and here are a couple of answers to questions:

For NancyK:The top is BWOF no. 109 from January 2007 (but you already know that, you were writing your comment about the same time I updated the review I think). The Knip Veneta dress is for 3.60 meters of fabric, which is 3.9 yards. Though your fabric sounds lovely by the description of it, it will not be sufficient, but you already guessed that.

As to conversion from yards to meters, there are several conversion charts on the internet. This is one I found.

Last question from Nancy on custom pattern for bra's: I made mine in workshops that I followed here locally.

For Marji: a good source is this site, and this is the search result for the magazines. I could buy you one, but it would not be cheaper, this site charges exactly the same price as I pay in the shop. Be aware that shipping charges are high!

For Summerset: no I didn't lengthen the placket. But it's rather long.

That's it for now. Probably I will post less regularly for some time. I have serious problems with my shoulder and right arm, and I must be less at the computer. Doctor's orders as from today. And work prevails and makes sure that there's money in the pocket to buy fabrics, so I'll do my best (but it's going to be difficult!)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The result of two weeks: a BWOF top and Knip mode skirt. Not a lot of work, but all I could do. Review of the skirt is here on PR, the review for the top must wait till later. The fabric market in The Hague was a huge disappointment to me. Limited amount of vendors, and limited choice of fabrics. Many vendors with the same type of fabrics and quality was very average to low. Wish I bought more on the fabric market in Leiden in February. Bought no fabric at all on the market.In a regular shop in The Hague I bought beautiful dark red linen/viscose for the Knip dress. NancyK wrote that she ordered the Knip issue because of this dress too. Nancy, what color are you planning? Though I can see that the suit would be very different in a more casual fabric (as suggested in the comments), I am still thinking about that idea.Het resultaat van twee weken: een Burda shirt en een Knip rok. Niet veel werk, maar alles wat ik kon doen. M'n review/recensie van de rok kun je hier vinden, over het shirt zal ik later schrijven.De stoffenmarkt in Den Haag was een enorme teleurstelling. Weinig kramen, en een beperkte stofkeuze. Veel hetzelfde type stof (kom op verkopers, ik maak kleding omdat ik wat origineels wil). En de kwaliteit van de stoffen viel me zwaar tegen. In Leiden heb ik eind februari veel mooiere stoffen gezien. Spijt dat ik toen niet meer gekocht heb. Nu op de markt helemaal niets! gekocht.Bij Schröder uiteindelijk geslaagd voor een mooie donkerrode linnen/viscose voor de jurk uit de Knip. Want hoewel het pakje er in een casual stof er heel anders uit zal zien (zoals in de reacties gesuggereerd), ben ik daar nog over na aan het denken.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Above are two pictures from the May issue of Knip mode. I'm not a great Knip-fan, but I really like how they presented the pattern. 1 picture from the catwalk, and 4 with fabric drawings to give an impression of different looks. There's also a sporty skirt presented this way. From the above I would like to make the first suit.But... when could I wear that, it doesn't fit my lifestyle. Something to dream about. Perhaps I could make a dress like the second, more opportunities to wear that I guess.

For now I've finished my white bra and taken a picture of that and the orange I was working on two weeks ago. As I've spent long (evening too) hours in front of the computer screen last days, I didn't feel like taking a picture of them on, and spend time photoshopping myself out of it.For larger pictures, just click on the small ones.The last picture gives a detail of the inside of the shoulderstrap. For extra support the shoulderstrap goes down to the side.

Enough lin gerie for the moment, other projects are taking their place. Tonight I gave myself time off, and cut the skirt of the April issue I showed you in this post.

This weekend a fabric market is being held in The Hague, and I'll go there and hope to find fabric to make my "green" jacket.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

That's a lot of posts in two days! My sewing spirit was gone, and the programmer in me thougth of other things to do, like the new tutorial links. This certainly costs a lot of time, which I could have used sewing, but I just didn't feel like it.

But when I went to my sewing room, I saw all the beautiful fabrics that I bought at Kantje Boord last week, and I couldn't help myself. I was sewing ling erie again!

Carolyn certainly shouted about this part of my sewing activities, so let's not disappoint her, LOL! Serious, thank you Carolyn for such a huge compliment and mentioning me in your favorite blogs.

At KantjeBoord I saw a lovely bustier that the lady who runs this shop with her husband made and displayed. I just had to copy the detail. It's so nice. The lace has just a bit of the color of the two straps in it. The green is not very visible in the picture, but it's in the leaves. It's not finished yet though.

And I bought some more good stuff. The lace in the first picture I bought online last year, and found all the right notions and lycra to go with it. The other two were all from Kantje Boord, see that they have a left and a right side of these laces. This is something I find important. I'll always try to have symmetry, and if not, then it's mostly a delibarate asymmetry.

For the first lace symmetry will not be possible, but then I'll try to make the same balance on both sides.

As you can see, I already broke up the links to tutorials in several categories. I'm always open to suggestions for categories and new links. Tell me about them.

Thanks Summerset for adding the embellisment category. Very helpful.

I've browsed a few sites of which I know there are tutorials to be found (especially The Sewing Diva's, Debbie Cook and Belinda), but there are many more. I'll gradually add new links.And I've included names behind the links, so that's clear where the link goes to (if you're a bit familiar with the sewing blogs) and if not, there's a lot to discover.

Last but not least: if anyone who doesn't want the link from her(his) side mentioned, please let me know. I make these lists with good intentions of sharing knowledge, but don't want to offend anyone.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

I love sewing tutorials. I like to make them and I like to read tutorials by others. In Dutch there is a saying "there are more ways that lead to Rome", and that is certainly true for sewing. For a lot of techniques there are more ways to do it. And it often depends on personal preference and experience with a technique what you prefer.

On my blog I try to share the (limited, not professional) knowledge I have on a few subjects. To find sewing information more easily I am trying to make a list of sewing tutorials that can be found on the internet. For a first test I've collected a number of links in my sidebar in a dropdown menu. As you can see already, there are a few subjects covered more than once (more ways to Rome!).

On my new laptop with Windows Vista I implemented this and had problems with the widget, the links didn't always work. On the computer I'm working on now, with Windows XP and both Internet Explorer and Firefox, it seems to work fine. Could you let me know your experiences whether the links work for you?

And there are so many tutorials I know of, but can not find immediately. If you have or know a tutorial that is worth a link, let me know, I'll be happy to add it.

And last: I think it might be good to divide this in a couple of categories. For example Zippers, Lining, Shirts, Skirts, Pants. What categories would you suggest?

Lots of questions. Let me know what you think!

PS: There are new links on top op my blog to my pdf-tutorials, both in Dutch and English and my photoalbum.

Friday, April 4, 2008

This afternoon I did some shopping with my daughter and she wanted to go to H&M (of course, she's 14). Looking at the tops she took out the above top and said: "Look mum, that's what you made on your blouse." And the neckline indeed has exactly the same origami folding I used on my blouse. It must be in the air! But I didn't buy it, the picture is from their website.Vanmiddag wat gewinkeld met m'n dochter en ze wilde (natuurlijk, ze is 14) bij de H&M naar binnen. Uit het rek met de tops haalt ze opeens de top hierboven en zegt: "Mam, dit is precies wat jij gedaan hebt met je blouse." En ze heeft gelijk, in de halslijn is exact hetzelfde origami gebruikt als ik in m'n blouse gedaan heb. Het zit blijkbaar in de lucht.Maar ik heb het shirtje niet gekocht, de foto is van hun website.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

I've been nominated by Vicky and Mary Beth for the Excellent blog award. I feel humbled and proud at the same time. Thank you so much. It's great to know that you think my blog is worth this nomination and you like reading it.

Now I'm to name 10 other blogs of which I think they deserve this award (and Vicky and Mary Beth: you would be on this list had you not nominated me). And this is really very difficult, there are many blogs I read and enjoy. Well, I try to name a few that I visit very often (no particular order), because of the information they share or the inspiration they give (or both).It's only sewing blogs, because that are the only blogs I read. Probably all of them have been nominated before but I think they deserve this award. It's certainly not a complete list of the blogs I like, and even my sidebar doesn't mention all blogs I read. Bloglines is a great service, but it makes you lazy on keeping your favorites up to date in the sidebar or even to comment regularly.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sunday wasn't my lucky day. The back of the jacket had shrunk so significantly, that I can not make the jacket from the green fabric. I just had enough to cut this jacket once, so no possibility of cutting the back from another part. But I do want that jacket, so I'm going to try to find a replacing fabric. Will not be the same, as I bought it last year in a shop closing sale. My feelings were really low after I found out.

But I have two pictures to share of the pants I made, based on the same pattern as the linen pants, but I redrafted the pocket area.